Visit Calderdale

 

Ogden Water  View over Halifax town centre  Todmorden Town Hall
 

Calderdale's Twin Towns

Calderdale is proud to benefit from twinning links with nine towns in four different countries. These links consist of civic ties between Councils which involve a rolling programme of Mayoral visits and visits by other individuals and groups from the various towns involved.

During these exchange visits, visitors stay with friends or families both abroad and in Calderdale and learn about the lives of ordinary people in these foreign countries, gaining a better understanding of the countries themselves in the process. People of all ages and occupations, including families, individuals, school exchanges, music groups and sports clubs take part in twinning programmes and activities.

The friendships formed through these twin links can last a lifetime and provide a wealth of opportunity for everyone involved to experience the cultures, languages and activities of different countries.

History of Town Twinning in Calderdale

Halifax was the first town in Calderdale to establish a Twin Link with a foreign town. In 1949, the then ‘Halifax Borough Council’ set up an official link with the city of Aachen in Germany. In the following year, a link between Brighouse and Lüdenscheid in Germany was also formed.

Further links have since been developed between Elland and Riorges, France; Calderdale and County Mayo, Ireland and Calderdale and Strakonice, Czech Republic. Todmorden Town Council is twinned with Roncq in France and Bramsche in Germany and Hebden Bridge and District International Group is twinned with St. Pol sur Ternoise in France and Warstein in Germany.

Town Twinning Societies

Each of our Twin Town links has a Twinning Society. You can visit the websites for three of these societies to find out more about what their work and how you too could become involved, by following the links below:

Brighouse Ludenscheid Society

Halifax-Aachen Society

The Elland-Riorges Association

For more detailed information about all of the Town Twinning Societies and the origins and history of Town Twinning in Calderdale, please click here.